Density Imaging of Volcanoes With Atmospheric Muons

par Cristina Carloganu (Clermont-Ferrand)

lundi 16 juin 2014, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Paris

TOMUVOL emerged end 2009 as a collaboration between volcanologists, astroparticle- and particle physicists to study tomographic muon imaging of volcanoes with high-resolution, large-scale tracking detectors. By exploiting recent advances in detection technology the aim is to improve the understanding of volcanic processes and to contribute to reducing volcanic hazards. Presently TOMUVOL is operating a muon telescope based on Glass Resistive Plate Chambers (GRPCs) at the flank of the Puy de Dôme, an inactive volcanic dome situated in the Massif Central (south-central France). Four GPRC planes are in continuous operation, controlled remotely from the lab. The seminar will show the knowledge acquired since the first deployment both on operating a complex detector in situ and on imaging a kilometer scale geophysical target. Will this new volcano-imaging technique be adopted by the volcanology community in their quest to quantify volcanic hazards? The seminar will also address this fundamental question by attempting a snap-shot of the world-wide efforts toward developing the volcano imaging with atmospheric muons.